The present invention relates to baby cribs and cradles and, in particular, it concerns a folded corrugated cardboard crib that supports the user above the ground.
It is known to use corrugated cardboard and similar foldable materials for the construction of pieces of furniture. An advantage of foldable materials such as corrugated cardboard as a construction material is its ability to be folded. Folding may be used to increase strength. Folding may also be used to form what would normally be two or more elements from a single sheet of material. One well known example of this is a box, which if constructed of wood would require at least six separate pieces to construct, four sides, top and bottom. A cardboard box, however, is constructed from a single piece of material that when cut and folded appropriately may be attached to itself along one edge to form four walls, a top and a bottom.
The use of corrugated cardboard in the construction of devices intended as a sleep space for infants is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,580, to Eichenauer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,524 to Antosko; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,426 to Boritski. These devices utilize the feature of forming multiple elements, such as side walls and bottom, from a single sheet of material. None of the devices are configured to be supported on legs above the ground. That is, they are little more than variations of a box, such that the ground contact surface of each device is the flat bottom of the box.
The cardboard cradle illustrated at www.returdesign.se/english/child/5.jpg has utilized the lightweight strength of cardboard, supports the bed above the ground and is aesthetically pleasing. Each element, however, is formed from a separate piece of material. That is, the two end pieces, two side walls and the bed bottom are formed from five separated pieces. Therefore the feature of forming multiple elements from a single piece of material has not been utilized. It should be noted that the ground contact surface of the end pieces has a contour which will allow the cradle to rock, however, this contour is not shaped in such a way as to limit the degree of rocking motion, therefore, the cradle may tip over if the degree of rocking is too extreme.
There is therefore a need for a crib constructed from foldable material that forms multiple elements from a single sheet of material, and supports the user above the ground.